<p>Justice Samuel Alito characterized lingering local and state coronavirus lockdowns Thursday as a &#8220;constitutional stress test&#8221; that are placing restrictions on liberty that were &#8220;previously unimaginable.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;We have never before seen restrictions as severe, extensive and prolonged,&#8221; Alito said in a virtual speech to The Federalist Society, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/samuel-alito-health-coronavirus-pandemic-us-supreme-court-courts-b19be4afbb45ef317816b99276bc9601" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Associated Press</a>. He added that the lockdowns have introduced &#8220;previously unimaginable restrictions on individual liberty.&#8221;</p>
<p>Stressing his belief that the coronavirus is a real public health emergency, Alito went on to emphasize that the lockdowns are testing the limits of constitutional freedoms and bringing to the surface trends that have been percolating long before the pandemic. Alito warned that such measures must be kept from becoming a “recurring feature after the pandemic has passed.”</p>
<p>&#8220;The COVID crisis has served as a sort of constitutional stress test, and in doing so it has highlighted disturbing trends that were already present before the virus struck,&#8221; Alito said.</p>
<p>The justice, who was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2005 by President George W. Bush, pinpointed the curtailed religious liberty during the lockdowns as particularly worthy of concern. &#8220;It pains me to say this,&#8221; he said, &#8220;but in certain quarters, religious liberty is fast becoming a disfavored right.&#8221; He brought up the case that came before the court in July regarding a church in Nevada that was seeking relief regarding the state&#8217;s lockdown orders on houses of worship.</p>
<p>Likening it to similar cases that have come to the Supreme Court from California, Alito said such examples &#8220;blatantly discriminated&#8221; against religious institutions and &#8220;should not have been a tough call.&#8221;</p>
<p>As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-denies-nevada-churchs-challenge-of-coronavirus-restrictions" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">reported</a>:</p>
<blockquote><p><em>The Supreme Court denied a petition Friday from Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley, a Nevada church asking for relief from the state’s strict attendance cap on in-person religious services.</em></p>
<p><em>Chief Justice John Roberts sided with the high court’s majority in an unsigned opinion, which was strongly rebuked in three separate <a href="http://supremecourt.gov/opinions/19pdf/19a1070_08l1.pdf">dissenting opinions</a> from the court’s more conservative justices.</em></p>
<p><em>“The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about the freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine, or to engage in any other game of chance,” wrote Justice Samuel Alito, who later added the case was likely to succeed on First Amendment grounds.</em></p>
<p><em>Justice Neil Gorsuch, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-rules-lgbt-individuals-protected-from-job-discrimination-under-title-vii">recently sided</a> with the court’s liberal appointees on a high-profile religious liberty case, wrote a powerful yet succinct dissent in which he argued that the Nevada case currently at hand was truly “simple.”</em></p>
<p><em>[&#8230;]</em></p>
<p><em>Justice Brett Kavanaugh, in yet another dissenting opinion, wrote: “Nevada’s 50-person attendance cap on religious worship services puts praying at churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques on worse footing than eating at restaurants, drinking at bars, gambling at casinos, or biking at gyms. In other words, Nevada is discriminating against religion.”</em></p></blockquote>
<p>WATCH:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Address by Justice Samuel Alito [2020 NLC Live]" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tYLZL4GZVbA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>
<p><strong>Related</strong>: <strong><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-supreme-court-orders-pennsylvania-ballots-received-after-election-day-be-segregated-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Supreme Court Orders Pennsylvania Ballots Received After Election Day Be Segregated</a></strong></p>

<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

‘Previously Unimaginable’: Alito Criticizes Coronavirus Restrictions, Warns Religious Liberty Becoming ‘Disfavored Right’

CONTINUE READING

Afghan Ally Says He Expects To Be Left Behind And Killed: ‘I’m Going To Die For A Good Thing’

WH, State Dept Reportedly Blocking Efforts To Rescue Afghan Christians: ‘Out-And-Out Evil’

Biden Admits To Being Instructed Which Reporters To Call On; Trump Press Sec Condemns

Biden Crumples At Mic In Response To Questions From Fox News About Afghanistan

‘Satanic’: Carlson, Whitlock Agree Left Driven By Ideas ‘In Direct Objection To God’

Canadian Pastor Who Faces 4-Year Jail Sentence For ‘Inciting’ Church Warns Americans: ‘The Enemy Is Not Hiding Anymore’

News and Commentary

COVID

Religion

Samuel Alito

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Evening Wire: Lebanon Ceasefire Begins & Murder-Suicide Rocks VA | 4.16.26

The Pendragon Cycle

Menu

— News and Commentary —

‘Previously Unimaginable’: Alito Criticizes Coronavirus Restrictions, Warns Religious Liberty Becoming ‘Disfavored Right’